Explore the Okavango and beyond – visit the Kalahari and Linyanti-wilderness areas in this comprehensive itinerary. Botswana’s landscapes are fantastically diverse and home to a myriad of wildlife offering a comprehensive game viewing experience. To fully appreciate the wonder of the Okavango one should also visit the Kalahari desert into which is flows. The Kwando-Linyanti is the other great river system in Botswana, a vast pristine wilderness with high concentrations of game. Animals are abundant and predators roam all these areas in good numbers. Safari purists will appreciate the focus on the safari experience rather than the luxurious trappings. Game drives feature trackers as well as guides, increasing the chances of those rare sightings. Explore Botswana away from the crowds with this excellent itinerary.
This itinerary showcases the incredibly rich and diverse nature of Botswana’s landscapes. Visit
wild, remote and game rich frontiers within and around the Okavango. To the south lies the Kalahari and to the north the Kwando-Linyanti river system. Offering pristine wilderness and phenomenal game viewing in some of the largest private reserves in African this is a truly exclusive safari. Visit four camps over 10 days, each set in beautiful and game rich environments with a great range activities – a classic Botswana itinerary.
This itinerary is begins with 3 nights in the Kalahari, the vast desert which lies south of the Okavango. From the Kalahari you fly to the northern frontier of Botswana, for 4 nights in the Kwando-Linyanti reserve. Your time here is split into two nights on the beautiful riverfront and 2 nights deeper in land by the Linyanti marsh. The itinerary ends with 3 nights in prime Okavango territory- with permanent waters and abundant game.
Starting your trip in the Central Kalahari, a 40 minute flight south of Maun, this enormous reserve is one of the largest in the world- with only 2 camps and very few visitors. Wild, remote and truly off the beaten track. The enormous grass plains are home to the famous Kalahari black maned lion, cheetah, brown hyena, oryx, springbok, eland, zebra and much more. The deserted adapted species found here are quite different to the Okavango and offer a more varied game viewing experience. Your lodge, Tau Pan, sits on a small ridge with wonderful views across the plains and waterhole below. Game drives and informative bushman walks are offered here.
After 3 nights you fly north east from the Kalahari to the northern frontier of Botswana, to the Kwando River – which forms the border between Botswana and Namibia. This is one of Botswana’s largest private reserves, the Kwando reserve is an astonishing 2,300km² and shared between just two camps- Lagoon and Lebala. Vehicles are scarce, animals are not. This lesser known area is a pristine wilderness, home to immense elephant and buffalo herds and impressive predators numbers. This area really comes alive in the dry season when staggering numbers of elephants flock to the river. The area has good resident game too and predators are regularly seen here. Notably, this is one of the best places to see African wild dog.
Your four nights will be split between Lagoon Camp on the riverfront and Lebala Camp which is set deeper inland – these camps compliment each other very well, with such different habitats the game viewing is varied.
Lagoon camp is a traditional camp with a simple style and a stunning setting on the banks of the river. Rooms are incredibly spacious if a little sparse but perfectly comfortable. It really is all about the views here, which all rooms enjoy. The swimming pool also has a fantastic setting overlooking the river. Day and night drives are offered as well as walking and boating.
Lebala Camp lies in the lush open grasslands about 2-3 hours game drive south of Lagoon Camp. The spacious tented rooms overlook the fringes of the linyanti marshes and are extremely light and airy. Activities here focus on game drives only – with big game in this drier area offering the opportunity for fantastic sightings.
After 4 nights you fly south to the Okavango, to the Kwara private concession in the east of the Delta. Kwara is a vast concession of 232,000 hectares, continuing the exclusive safari experience. The Kwando Reserve is one of the most famous in Botswana, with a fantastic range of habitats permanent water and prime game viewing- This area has great sightings of lion, leopard, wild dog and even cheetah which is rare in the Okavango.
With permanent waters and the flexibility of a private concession a full range of land and water activities are offered from this beautiful and diverse reserve, keeping the safari experience interesting, fresh and exciting every day.
Splash Camp is a relatively new camp, built in 2018 and has a smarter, more contemporary design while remaining true to the essence of the safari experience. Rooms are spacious and furnishings more complete and plush, this ensures a more luxurious end to your safari.
Splash has a great track record for offering water activities year round so you can be confident of enjoying that quintessential Botswana safari experience, a mokoro trip, gliding silently through the waterways and seeing the game at eye level is a very special experience. Boating is also offered on a double decker boat which offers great views across the waters and floodplains.
While park rules apply in the Kalahari, the rest of the safari takes place on private concessions, offering full flexibility on activities. Off-roading is permitted in these private reserves as well as night drives.
All camps are operated by Kwando Safaris, one of the oldest Botswana operators who stand out for their focus on delivering superb game viewing experiences. To this end, and uniquely in Botswana, they have both a guide and a tracker on board, doubling the expert eyes on your drives and chances of finding those rare sightings.
